FLASHbrief Aim: Nip Crime in Bud

SWAINTON — This County’s top cop pitched a service to area business leaders that could help protect them from fraud.
Cape May County Sheriff Gary Schaffer gave a presentation at the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly membership luncheon on Thur., Oct. 21 at Avalon Golf Club and Links Restaurant.
The sheriff was trying to “sell” the business community on FLASHbrief, a county-wide, Internet-based emergency and advisory alert system. The service is maintained by the Sheriff’s Office and is free to all county businesses, emergency responders and members of the public.
Schaffer gave the chamber members a hypothetical situation in which a criminal had just passed a counterfeit bill, bad check or fraudulent credit card in one of the businesses signed up with FLASHbrief.
“That business owner could put out an alert notifying all other member businesses of the fraud in just seconds,” Schaffer said.
Schaffer told chamber members that businesses can sign up for FLASHbrief in a few minutes at www.cmcsheriff.net, where they can click on the FLASHbrief section and follow prompts to register. Businesses can also unsubscribe at any time.
Schaffer said alerts would appear on businesses’ computer screens even if they have a pop-up blocker in use. If computers are turned off, the alerts will appear once the machines are restarted.
Emergency alerts can also be sent to cell phones, he said.
In addition to its uses for the business community, FLASHbrief can also be used to send public safety, weather and law enforcement emergency alerts.
Schaffer said the $15,000 program was donated to the Sheriff’s Office by two retired Lower Township police officers, Bob Martin and Jack Trombetta, who have business connections with the company that manages FLASHbrief, Critical Systems Security Group headquartered in Orlando, Fla.
Schaffer told chamber members he would be interested in meeting with member businesses individually and in small groups to discuss how helpful the service could be, and how easy the registration would be.
He also asked for suggestions from members on other ways they thought this service could assist them.
For information or to schedule a meeting, Schaffer said to email jcohen@cmcsheriff.net or sheriff@cmcsheriff.net or call (609) 463-6425 or (609) 846-6696.